Magha Mahina (month) When the Sun moves North

The month of Magha is considered highly auspicious by the Hindus. The full moon is usually around the star cluster (Nakshatra) named Magha in this month and hence the name. As per the solar calendars the Sun enters the Capricorn during Magha.

This month is considered ideal for Snana-Dana meaning Charitable and for the symbolic ‘Holy dip’ purposes as well as Spiritual Sadhana and all auspicious beginnings.

Magha is the 11^th month in the traditional Hindu calendar of India. As per the North Indian Hindu Calendar followed in Delhi, Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh etc, Magha 2023 is from January 7^th to February 5^th. But as per the Marathi, Guajarati, Telugu and Kannada calendars its is from 22^nd January to 20^th February.

Magha synonymous with this

A dip at the confluence of Prayag, Triveni Sangam of the three rivers Ganga, Saraswati and Yamuna is considered extremely good for the achievement of the Purusharth goals of Dharma, Artha, Kama and Moksha. The benefits of worship, study, charity, ceremonial dips in holy water (of Ganga , Prayagraj ) and even weddings done in Magha are believed to be amplified because of the influx of the positive energy due the Sun’s Northern movement (Uttarayan).

People love eating sesame and jaggery in this month as it is the ideal warming, immunity boosting food for this season.

The recommended rituals during Magha month:

1. Wake up at dawn and bathe in water mixed with sesame oil
2. Offer prayers to Lord Surya with the Gayatri Mantra. Perform Surya Arghya or offering of water to Surya. This helps attract positive energy and improves health and overall energy levels.
3. Participate in fasting, group prayers like satsang/ bhajans, prayer gatherings.
4. Give away lots of heat-generating foods like sesame jaggery etc practiced in haldi-kumkum events.
5. If pilgrimage is on your mind, then this is the month to do it. Hindus consider at holy dip at the confluence of Triveni Sangam, Prayag and Kashi, Haridwar, Kurukshetra, Naimisharanya as extremely auspicious in Magha.

Key festivals in the month of Magha

1. Paush Purnima
2. Magh Mela and Kumbh Mela
3. Makar Sankranti, Pongal, Lohri, Magh Bihu, Uttarayana
4. Mauni Amavasya
5. Magh Gupt Navratri
6. Vasant Pachami/ Shri Panchami
7. Ratha Saptami
8. Bhishma Ashtami
9. Magh Purnima

1. Paush Purnima :

Paush Purnima (full moon) marks the start of Magha month austerities that end with Magha Purnima. These include early morning bath, fasts, charity and prayers. A dip at Triveni Sangam is highly recommended on this day.  

2. Magha Mela and Kumbh Mela

Magha mela is an annual festival held in the Magha month near river banks and tanks , associated with temples. Since this month is especially associated with holy baths, this months long fair gives people an opportunity to participate in the festivities.

Magha mela mentioned in the Mahabharata and Puranas is a part of Pushkaram (Indian river festival) that rotated annually amongst 12 sacred rivers each corresponding to a zodiac sign. And the river chosen corresponds to Jupiter’s predominance in the that zodiac sign.

Kumbh Mela is celebrated once in 12 years to celebrate every revolution that Jupiter (Brihaspati) completes and is celebrated at four main river- bank pilgrimage centres i.e Allahabad (Triveni Sangam, Prayag);  Haridwar (Ganges), Nashik (Godavari), Ujjain ( Shipra)

3. Celebrating the Sun’s movement to the North:

This movement of the Sun from the South towards the North is celebrated with fervent prayers to Lord Surya with many local festivities. Hindus believe that this marks the beginning of all good things in terms of health, wealth and spirituality. The direction North has a special place in Hinduism as it is associated with the divine Himalayas where most enlightened sages and rishis have resided and continue to do so.

Called as Makar Sankranti in Maharashtra, Pongal in Tamil Nadu, Lohri in Punjab, Magh Bihu in Assam , Uttarayana in Gujarat, every state celebrates their festival with sumptuous foods, dance, gaiety, decorations, bonfires, kite flying, gifting, charity, bhajans, pilgrimage, fairs etc.

4. Mauni Amavasya

Also known as Mauna Amavasya or Maghi Amavasya this day is celebrated on the no- moon days of Magha with mauna or silence. In Hinduism, Mauna Vrata is considered to be effective to help introspect and meditate. It is also the most important day for bathing in the Ganges and is known as Kumbha Parva or Amrit Yoga.

While thousands of devotees throng Triveni at Prayag for a holy dip, the ones who can’t visit the Ganges sprinkle a few drops of Ganga water after bath and meditate in silence. They also worship Lord Brahma with the Gayatri mantra chant.

This day is also considered great for ancestor worship and for making donations to the needy.

5. Magh Gupt Navratri.

Navratri is celebrated 4 times a year. The most popular one is Shardiya Navaratri in Ashwin month on the Hindu Calendar and the other three are in the months of Magha, Ashadi and Chaitra.

Magha Navratri is also called Gupt since not many are aware of it. The rituals remain the same with Ghatasthapana marking the start of the nine days of Goddess Shakti/Durga worship. All her nine forms are worshipped on the 9 Navratri days.

6. Vasant Panchami/ Shri Panchami:

This day dedicated to worship of Goddess Saraswati, is celebrated as her birth anniversary. It is also known are Saraswati Jayanti or Saraswati Pooja.

This festival is associated with the colour yellow especially in the North as the landscape there is covered with mustard and marigold blooms, at this time of the year. Though Goddess Saraswati’s colour is white associated with Sattva, Vasant Panchami sees an explosion of yellow in the flowers , sweets , clothes etc mirroring the beautiful yellowness all around.

Most Hindu families choose this day for Vidya Arambha i.e to introduce formal education to the young ones in the families, As Goddess Saraswati presides over wisdom, speech, knowledge and creativity. Many educational institutions organize Saraswati puja too on this day.

7. Ratha Saptami :

Ratha Saptami also known as Magha Saptami/ Surya Jayanti is an important Hindu festival celebrated as the birthday of Lord Surya.

It is an ancient practice to take a bath especially on Ratha Saptami in a river or a water body approximately 1.5 hours before sunrise, which is called Arunodaya. This bath is believed to be therapeutic and a promoter of health and a disease- free life. Hence this day is also called Arogya Saptami.

Post this upon sunrise, Lord Surya is prayed to with Arghya, an offering of water from a Kalash held up in folded hands while standing. Gayatri mantra, Saura Sukta , Surya Upanishad are chanted and meditated upon .

8. Bhishma Ashtami

Bhishma Pitamaha, one of the major personalities of the Mahabharata had taken a vow for life and was utterly loyal and devoted to his father. Hence, he had been gifted with a boon to choose the time of his death.

Therefore even when he was seriously injured in the battle of Kurukshetra he opted to wait for the appropriate time to leave his body. He waited till the sun started its northern journey (Uttarayan) as it is considered auspicious. Accordingly, he left his body on Magha Shukla Ashtami.

9. Magha Purnima

Also known as Maghi Purnima, this day marks the end of the month- long austerities of Magh Mahina that include bathing in holy waters, fasting, mauna vrata, prayers etc. On Maghi Purnima, People make hefty donations towards charity including cows, special prayer yajnas etc at Triveni, Prayag, the confluence of Ganga, Yamuna and Saraswati rivers.